Hands Of Fate
by jehc
Summary: Kathryn and Seven end up on a very long away mission.  This story has been previously posted elsewhere.


**Hands of Fate**

Captain Kathryn Janeway hesitated outside the door of Voyager's Astrometrics lab. The compact redheaded captain of Voyager was feeling her age today. Six years previous a powerful alien had kidnapped her and her crew. The same alien had also captured some rebels from Janeway's sector of space. Both crews joined to make one as they tried to find away to shorten the seventy year journey back home. She squared her shoulders as she prepared to enter and speak with the lab's lone occupant. Seven of Nine was a human who had been assimilated by the Borg as a preschooler. After eighteen years she was rescued by the crew of Voyager and became an important member of the ship's family. Janeway paused in the doorway and admired the woman's Nordic good looks.

_God she is beautiful, _thought the captain, _I can't believe I am about to do this. Six years alone is a long time._

Seven's Borg enhanced hearing alerted her to the captain's arrival. After years with the Borg she relished the interpersonal relationships she had begun with many members of the crew. But she enjoyed relating to no one more than the captain. Like the part biological and part machine culture she had left, Seven was efficient. While she was no longer linked to the hive, billions of minds controlled by one, she was affected by some of their ideals. Her graceful gait displayed an economy of movement while her speech was always to the point. Only the lucky few saw beyond Seven's android-like veneer to the kind and caring person inside. And only Seven knew the focus of her kindness and caring stemmed from a deep and abiding love for her captain.

"Captain Janeway," Seven said in her usual cool voice, "How may I assist you?"

"Hello, Seven. I thought we might spend some time on the holodeck this evening. Are you free?"

"Yes Captain, I have no conflicting plans. Will we be playing velocity?" The two women often played the fast paced sport that used a phaser and a holographic disk in a 24th century form of dodge ball.

"No, Seven. I thought we might have dinner," the captain held her breath and looked up shyly, "and maybe dancing." Janeway moved a step closer towards Seven. " If you agree, I would like to spend more of our free time together."

Seven looked shocked as she assimilated this new information. "Captain I…

_"Captain to the bridge"_

The klaxon sounded ship-wide as the ship went into red alert and Janeway and Seven took off at a fast pace to the bridge.

"Report," Janeway said as strode across the bridge to her first officer, commander Chakotay. He called her attention to the sensor reading.

_Oh joy, the Borg again. What I wouldn't give for a nice quite sector of space with no intergalactic bad guys._

"Seven look at this." Janeway called her attention to a screen displaying readouts from Voyager's sensor array. "There appears to be Borg signatures coming from the planets ahead."

Seven studied the display. "These are nothing to be concerned about. The Borg abandoned the planet-based technology that is creating these readings over a century ago. Before unicomplexes and transwarp corridors the Borg had planet-based complexes. They abandoned the ones in this area over two hundred years ago."

The senior staff looked both relieved and surprised at these remarks. The youngest of the bridge officers, Harry Kim, was the first to speak. "Are you saying the Borg just left a bunch of their junk laying around?"

"Yes," was all Seven replied as she turned to the captain to await further questions.

The captain's voice was excited as she asked, "Do you think there are things down there we can use?" Janeway's eyes sparked with excitement, "Would it be worth a look?"

"When you are traveling as far as we are, with as little as we have, almost anything can come in useful at some point. I believe it would be to our advantage to detour. I will use the sensors in Astrometrics to discover the most auspicious locations for our study and recovery operations."

Janeway grinned. "Thank you, Seven. I would like a report as soon as possible." She looked around the room at her other officers. "Well team, looks like we don't have to fight the Borg collective today."

Captain Janeway was a powerful figure. In size she was tiny, barley 5'5" tall and couldn't weigh more than 130 pounds. But nobody noticed. In her uniform she was the leader. Any member of her crew would follow her anywere, beleiveing she would shield them from harm or risk all trying. But tonight in the privacy of her quarters she was a woman. A tired, beautiful woman in the prime of her life. Kathryn had spoiled herself with a long soak in a hot tub and slipped into silk. No one was going to see it, but it felt nice. And God she needed to feel nice, to remember that she was more than a Starfleet officer, even if no one was allowed to think of her otherwise.

She sat on her couch with her legs curved under her reading from a small paperback book. After the Fairhaven fiasco (the captain had gotten involved with a hologram and the whole crew knew it) Janeway had been limiting her erotic fantasies to books. Not as interactive but less likely to follow her to the bridge.

_I can't believe I finally asked her out on a date and it caused a red alert._

The entire senior staff had spent the evening studying sensors and discussing alternate uses for the technology that they expected to find. There was no time for personal endeavors.

Seven paused outside the captain's door. _She did say as soon as possible, _Seven thought as she pressed the door chime. Seven felt a tingle up her spine as she heard the captain's throaty "come" inviting her in. Seven walked into the room and paused when she saw the captain pulling on her bathrobe. She was not quick enough to hide the low cut silk gown from the Borg's eager eyes. Seven felt a twinge in her stomach as she noticed the creamy skin at the captain's neck. Seven was quite aware that what she was feeling was arousal.

_Just looking at her makes me malfunction in the most inefficient yet satisfactory ways, _Seven thought as she pretended not to notice how the captain's hair was framing her lovely face.

"Captain, I have finished my analysis." She handed Janeway the padd. "There do not seem to be any sentient life forms in the immediate area. All of the debris was considered no longer useful by the hive and this area of space had been so dominated by the Borg it is avoided even today." Seven paused and waited for the captain's response.

Janeway's mouth formed a small smile. "Thank you, Seven, however I don't usually receive reports in my bathrobe. Why don't we meet tomorrow for breakfast and we can go over it then."

"I will comply," said Seven as she turned to leave. The tall blond was disappointed that she would not be having a longer discussion with the captain or even spend personal time as earlier mentioned, but knew a dismissal when she heard one.

The captain watched as Seven turned to leave. She felt herself go warm as she forced herself not to gaze too long at the woman's retreating rear end. _Bad girl Kathryn, you haven't even had your first date. Besides you have never been with a woman before. You wouldn't know what to do with her if you caught her anyway._

The captain's eyes glassed over as she was suddenly bombarded with images of the possibilities. _Oh my, how hard could it be really?_ As she felt that familiar tingling between her legs Kathryn open her book and headed for the couch trying to distract her traitorous mind and body.

Ten hours later after a good nights sleep and several cups of coffee Captain Janeway was strapping herself into the Delta Flyer. The little shuttle, designed by her crew, was the best Voyager had. She looked over at Seven of Nine, her co-pilot for the mission, and insured she was ready. "Janeway to the bridge. Delta Flyer ready to depart,"

"Bridge here Captain. The Delta Flyer is cleared for take off."

"Thank you Mr. Kim. Janeway out."

Part 2

The bridge was quiet as the alpha shift watched their captain expertly pilot the shuttle towards their salvage coordinates. The silence was shattered by a collective gasp when the ship suddenly disappeared from view. It was almost as if a black curtain had covered the craft. Where the Flyer was all that was left was the darkness of space. "Mr. Kim report." Ordered a shocked Commander Chakotay.

Harry Kim relied on all his training to form a coherent answer. "The Delta Flyer has disappeared from all sensors, Sir. There is no evidence of weapons fire or debris. It is just gone."

Chakotay touched his COM badge, "Chakotay to Icheb."

"Icheb here Commander"

"Use the astrometrics sensor array to scan for the Delta Flyer."

"Aye sir, no sign of the Flyer or warp signatures."

"Scan for any anomalies or any explanation of the Flyer's disappearance. And report your findings immediately"

"Aye sir."

"Chakotay out."

It was a somber group that met in the conference room two hours later. The half Human half Klingon engineer, B'Elanna Torres was so agitated she could not take her seat. Icheb the young former Borg and Astrometrics assistant to Seven of Nine slowly began to address the senior staff. "It appears that this area was a testing zone for Borg space travel. According to sensors there are 150 artificial wormholes concentrated in this area. When the Delta Flyer launched out of the shuttle bay it must have come into contact with one."

Harry Kim exuberantly jumped from his seat, "So if we pinpoint the spot where we lost contact we can follow the worm hole to rescue the captain."

Icheb shook his head in a gesture of defeat. "These artificial singularities are unstable. They are actually moving around the area. I have been unable to identify a way to tell which one they went through."

Neelix, the Talaxian cook and ships moral officer, had been sitting quiet until this point asked quietly. "How could this have happened to Seven? She must have known they were there?"

"Information from this time in the Borg's history was deemed irrelevant and mostly deleted from the collective's memory. The sensors I used to detect the singularities were not ones we would typically run for a routine away mission."

Commander Chakotay cleared his throat, "Can you discover the exit points for these wormholes?"

Icheb again shook his head. "At any given moment I can get information as to the direction of the exit, but as the entrance keeps moving I can't tell you five minutes later which one I did the reading on."

Commander Chakotay's brow was furrowed as he asked, "What about Voyager? Are we in any danger right now?"

Icheb walked over to the conference screen and pulled up a view from the astrometrics sensors. The screen showed a picture that looked like purple dots dancing a slow waltz, but with no predictable pattern. "As you can see the entrances to these singularities are emitting phased-variant polaron radiation waves. The entrances are different sizes, very few of which are large enough to accommodate Voyager. The exits of the twenty-two that are I have been able to identify are all in Borg space in the Delta quadrant. Not some place we would want to go. I believe that moving away from this area would be prudent. We do not know when one of those that are big enough will cross our path. Here is the course that I would recommend."

Icheb looked over at Tom Paris and pointed to a spot on the chart that was five light years away from their current location. "This spot would allow us to look for more options for a rescue at a safe distance."

Chakotay looked around the table at the senior staff. "I need some options. Tom, move us along the suggested course. Everyone else is dismissed. Go to your stations and start looking for solutions we will meet back here in six hours.

One week later it was a somber first officer, now Captain, who ordered Voyager to resume course for the Alpha quadrant. No solutions had become apparent, no rescue was attempted, the senior staff was exhausted from their efforts but finally agreed there was no more they could do. Voyager launched a beacon to warn passing ships and with heavy hearts the crew continued on. Keeping their course just out side of ancient Borg space, their sensors constantly watching for danger, the Voyager crew mourned their captain as they continued her mission to get home.

Part 3

Captain Janeway moaned as she slowly regained consciousness. Her head hurt, her legs hurt, _shit even my hair hurts,_ she thought to herself as she slowly opened her she lifted her head Kathryn found herself gazing up at the form of her astrometrics officer. Seven had regained consciousness first and after ascertaining that the captain was only unconscious and bruised began to explore the extent of the shuttle's damage.

"Seven, report." The captain ordered.

Seven walked over to Kathryn with the medical tricorder. "You seem to be fine, Captain. A minor concussion and some bruising."

"The mission Seven, report on the mission. What the hell happened?"

Seven closed the tricorder and offered the captain her hand. "Three minutes after exiting Voyager's shuttle bay we were pulled in to a singularity. After several minutes of turbulence we were deposited here. The ship is severely damaged. All propulsion is off line. We have enough power for life support and auxiliary systems for several days."

The captain put her hand to her head. "Where is here, Seven?"

"Navigational systems are off line, Captain. Sensors show that we are in another deserted ancient Borg colony. I have hypothesized that early Borg space travel was accomplished by creating artificial wormholes between colonies. I believe that due to their artificial natures these singularities became unstable. As I told you in my report, the site we were going to explore was a major hub of Borg activity. I believe we must have strayed into a passage between colonies and were pulled in. The passages are degrading with time and gave us a" Seven cocked her eyebrow as she paused searching for the right expression, "bumpy ride."

Janeway absorbed this information. "Any idea what happened to Voyager? Was it drawn in as well?"

"No, Captain. I do not believe that the passage was big enough for the ship. I am sure after they saw us disappear they took appropriate action. I have sent out hails but received no reply."

"Seven, what will it take to get propulsion on line?"

"I was working on thrusters when you regained consciousness. I should have impulse power in one hour. There are two M-class planets within twenty-five light years of here. I believe we should put the shuttle down and make our repairs planet-side."

"Okay Seven, you work on propulsion. I am going to release an emergency beacon for Voyager and then I will scan the planets and find us a camping spot."

The women worked quietly at their respective stations for the next two hours.

"Captain impulse engines are on line."

"Thank you Seven, better buckle up this could get bumpy."

"Aye, Captain."

In spite of her warning Janeway flew the shuttle flawlessly and landed perfectly at her chosen location. She put the shuttle down about five kilometers from one of the Borg cities. Tricorder in hand the two women exited the shuttle.

"Seven, even if we get the shuttle back to perfect condition, we won't be leaving here right away. Our first priority is to explore the surrounding area for things we can use and to ensure there are no surprises."

"Yes, Captain." Seven responded. _With just a shuttle in an unknown area of space it would be foolhardy to leave here. Does she know this or is she putting on a brave face for me?_

The temperature planet side was comfortable. The captain had chosen a part of the planet that seemed to be similar in climate to the North American Southeast on Earth. The two women spent the day in awe of their surrounding. The Borg technology in the deserted area was fascinating. Standing in front of what looked like antique Borg alcoves Kathryn stated, "Seven this is amazing. We are touring a Borg museum. Do you recognize this equipment?"

"Yes, Captain. Much of this hardware is familiar to me. I will be able to adapt this alcove to the shuttle for regeneration."

"Oh Seven, that is good news. But I thought you were sleeping now?"

"Yes, Captain. I do use my new quarters for sleeping but I still require several hours of regeneration each week to maintain my implants." Seven looked at the Captain's hand, which had been placed on Seven's arm to emphasize her concern. Then she looked up at Janeway and smiled. "Captain, I believe that we will have ample opportunity to spend our free time together on this mission"

Stunned by the comment and by the sentiment Kathryn barked out an amused laugh "Well Seven I guess every cloud really does have a silver lining." Kathryn found herself grinning as she moved away and began to explore more of her new environment.

Part 4

It was a weary twosome that found its way back to the Delta Flyer that evening. "Seven I must say I am not looking forward to a meal of ration bars. How long until you think we can get the replicators on line?"

"I will have them fixed by tomorrow's evening meal." Seven looked down at her hands as if she had something more to say but was not sure how.

Janeway noticed an almost imperceptible heightening of Seven's color, as if she was blushing. "What is it Seven?" asked Janeway with concern.

"We are not having ration bars for our evening meal." Seven moved to the back of the Flyer and returned with a small picnic basket. "Based on our last private conversation I thought this would enhance our time together on this mission. I have often heard a picnic makes for an excellent first date." Seven hesitated, "You had been asking me on a date, correct?"

Kathryn smiled gently, "Yes, Seven. I was asking you on a date, though these are not the conditions I had imagined." Janeway looked around the Flyer there was barely space for a plate, never mind a picnic. "Shall we enjoy our meal outside?"

The two women exited the shuttle and spread a traditional picnic blanket on the ground. Janeway was delighted as she pulled the unexpected treats from the basket and began their meal. "Seven I must say you thought of everything." Janeway was pleasantly full as she decided she would save her second brownie for breakfast.

Seven pulled a large thermos out of her basket and said, "Captain, may I ask you a question?"

Janeway eyed the flask with greedy eyes as she replied, "Seven if there is coffee in that container you can ask me anything you want. And Seven when we aren't working call me Kathryn"

Seven looked at the container in her hand, "And if it is not coffee?"

"Well then" Janeway grinned, "you can still ask I just won't guarantee an answer."

Seven cocked her ocular implant as she replied, "Then I am pleased I chose the appropriate beverage to guarantee an answer."

Janeway eagerly poured herself a cup of the brown liquid and waited to hear what her friend would ask.

"Do you prefer the right or left side of the bed?"

Kathryn's eyes watered as the coffee she had just sipped spewed across the blanket.

_Oh my god_ thought Kathryn as sudden images of tangled sheets and her blond companion flashed through her mind. _I am really not ready, well I think I am not ready for this, okay it has been six years I am so ready for this. Shit Kathryn, you don't even kiss on the first date. "_Seven I think it is a little early for this particular discussion."

Seven looked at her Captain concerned by her obviously distressed reaction to the question, "I disagree."

"Oh" replied Janeway "and why is that?"

"We have been conscious for nineteen hours. Our physiology requires that we rest."

"I understand that Seven. But just because we have discussed the possibility of a personal relationship does not mean we have to…" _How should I put this I don't want to hurt her…"_share a bed at this time".

"True, Captain," replied the former Borg, "but the damage to the aft compartment leaves us with only one sleeping mat."

Kathryn slowly composed her features into a neutral mask. "Oh I see, well I don't have a preference. And you are correct we do need to get ready for rest. What do you recommend?"

"I will clean out the debris in the aft cabin and the mattress will fit on the floor. I believe that the Flyer would be the appropriate shelter for us. Unless you would prefer an alcove I believe I could have two of those ready with little effort."

Kathryn looked up quickly and then smiled. "Your sense of humor does continue to assert itself, Seven. It is unique."

Seven quirked her lips in a half smile then moved towards the Flyer. "Cap.. Kathryn I will prepare our quarters while you enjoy the remainder of your beverage."

After about twenty minutes of watching stars and drinking half the thermos of coffee, Kathryn straightened her shoulders and prepared to enter the Flyer. She carefully placed the thermos, with the remains of her coffee, aside.

_With no replicator available this coffee may be all that gets me out of bed tomorrow…Oh lord, bed. I hope it is a large mattress._ Kathryn walked to the aft compartment and peaked inside. All of the debris from the damaged ship was moved to one side and in the center of the compartment was a mattress a little smaller than a double bed but not as small as a single. Trying not to look as nervous as she felt Janeway moved towards the bed. Seven looked up from her task of putting on the sheets.

"I hope this will be sufficient Kathryn. As I have never slept with anyone else I do not know if I snore or kick."

Janeway grinned in response. "Well Seven if you do either I am sure we can find you a nice alcove." The friendly banter was helping her to relax.

Seven quirked her optical implant with her patented half smile but did not respond. She slowly reached behind her neck and began to pull off her bio-suit. Janeway looked away.

"Seven what are you doing?"

"I am preparing to sleep Kathryn. As I have no nightclothes and the recycler is not yet operative I will remove my suit until morning. Is it not time to embark on sleep?"

Kathryn nodded slowly as she realized she was in the same situation as Seven. No nightclothes. She slowly removed her clothes down to her tank top and briefs and climbed into bed.

"Kathryn,"

"Yes, Seven." She replied.

"You are finding this situation uncomfortable, why?"

Kathryn sighed. "Seven, I finally made a decision to allow myself to attempt a personal relationship. One minute I am asking you out for a nice evening of dinner and dancing and the next thing I know we are alone on a deserted planet together. If I didn't know better I would think it was Q's idea of a joke."

The captain took a deep breath and continued. "If I had not said anything it would be easier, but now that the cat is out of the bag, so to speak, I am not sure what to do."

Seven looked at her friend in the dim light. "I was pleased when you asked me on a date. I would like to have a personal relationship with you. I do not feel this information should make you uneasy. We have always functioned well working together. Why would spending more time together make that no longer true?"

Kathryn shook her head. "You make it all sound so simple Seven, and maybe it is. Can we sleep on it and talk more tomorrow? I am very tired."

"Yes, Kathryn. Good night."

Both women lay quietly as sleep quickly overcame them.

Captain Janeway woke slowly after a good nights sleep. She turned her head and smiled into the blue eyes of her bedmate. "Good morning Seven, sleep well?"

Seven smiled shyly at the captain and looked down at their entwined hands. "We are holding hands."

Kathryn smiled, "So I see." She made no move to remove her hand from Seven's grip.

"I do not know how this came about, we were joined when I woke up."

Kathryn's smile broadened at her friend's consternation. "Are you uncomfortable?"

"No, Captain. I am unfamiliar with how I feel but it is not discomfort. I have never held hands with anyone before. It is nice."

"I think so, too." Kathryn squeezed Seven's hand and then gently pulled away. "Nice as it is I do think it is time to get up. And Seven we may be here a very long time. Please call me Kathryn."

Seven stared at her empty hand as if mourning the loss of its precious contents. Kathryn tried to look away as the blond rose from her bed. Seeing Seven's lean naked body almost took her breath away. _It is impolite to stare Kathryn._ The captain tore her eyes away from the young woman and began to dress herself. Her pace quickened as she remembered the half flask of coffee and brownie waiting for her in the cockpit of the shuttle.

The two women discussed their plans for the day as they ingested their breakfast.

"Since we have found no immediate danger I think we should make repairing the shuttle our top priority. I would like to go over the Flyer system by system this morning and list what things we may need to scavenge for repairs. If anything unexpected happens I would like to be able to move out quickly."

Seven replied thoughtfully. "Based on the amount of technology accessible to us we should be able to find most of the things we need. Bringing the replicator on line will also assist in our ability to acquire all that we need."

"What about power? Do you think there is dilithium?"

"I believe we will find dilithium or some other suitable power source for the shuttle. While we are planet side I would suggest using solar power, as it is abundant and renewable."

This conversation set the tone for the women's first week together on the planet that they had jokingly named _The Sphere_. Each morning they discussed which part of the shuttle they would be working on. Each afternoon they explored their environment for supplies and interesting bits of information. Evenings were spent discussing the day, and each morning found them a little closer in the small bed holding hands.

Kathryn watched as Seven regenerated in the alcove that they had adapted for her needs. She was uncomfortable leaving Seven alone even though they had found nothing in their new home that implied danger.

_Oh sure Katie you are here to protect her. It has nothing to do with how beautiful she looks standing there with that peaceful expression on her face._

_"cheep cheep"_

Seven stepped from her alcove. "Hello Kathryn. Has anything remarkable happened?"

"Nothing to report Seven." She waved the pad in her hand as she rose from her seat. "Just Reviewing our progress. By this time tomorrow we will be space worthy." An almost sad look crossed the Captain's face. "Not that I am sure what good that will do us, but it is one goal accomplished."

"It is good to complete a goal." Seven responded. "Once we are not devoting all of our time to ship repair I would like to study some of the charts and specifications I have down loaded from the central computer system of this complex."

"It is funny Seven that the Borg feel so invincible that they could leave so much here unguarded."

"Funny," Seven cocked her head while she processed the thought, "but convenient as well." As the women headed back to the Delta Flyer Seven noticed she had shortened her steps to walk in sync with the smaller woman's gait. As she looked down at her friend she found herself reaching out almost without thinking and taking the other woman's hand.

Kathryn looked up in surprise and smiled shyly quirking one of her auburn eyebrows in question.

"I was wondering if it would feel as nice standing up as it does lying down."

"It seems to." Kathryn replied as she reached over with her free hand and squeezed Seven's bicep.

"Kathryn, I find my self wanting to touch you. Sometimes when you are sleeping I want to pull you close and surround you with my arms like…as if we were.." Seven's words faulterd off as she looked down at her hands in confusion.

Kathryn stopped and turned towards her. "As if we were lovers?"

"I do not know how to proceed Kathryn. I have always enjoyed our time together and when you suggested we begin dating I felt…" Seven hesitated unfamiliar with expressing her feelings so openly "…joy. I continue to feel strongly and as we spend more time relating outside the chain of command it seems to become more intense."

The redhead moved her hand slowly up from Seven's bicep to her face. "I feel the same. Oh Seven, I have found myself reaching out for you so many times over the past year. I have looked up at you every morning this week and just wanted to do this."

A shiver went up Seven's spine as she watched Kathryn's face move towards her. She felt Janeway's fingertips gently caress her cheek as their lips touched. It was more a caress than a kiss. Seven felt a gentle pressure, there for a moment and gone again. She sighed as she realized the touch was over and Kathryn had moved away.

Hands still entwined the women walked back to the Flyer in silence.

The women prepared their evening meal and found their hands touching constantly. It seemed that they couldn't be within a foot of each other without reaching out.

"Seven," Kathryn said in a voice much lower then usual. "I don't think I can sleep with you tonight."

Seven's face paled, "You do not want to be with me."

Kathryn grinned an almost feral grin. "Oh yes, I want to be with you. Its just sleeping that isn't an option. Seven, I don't want to push you in to anything you are not comfortable with or aren't ready for. And I think it would be very hard for me to.." Seven leaned over and put her finger on Kathryn's lips.

"I would love to not sleep with you tonight Kathryn Janeway." Seven moved her finger away and replaced it with her lips.

This kiss was different from the last. It was a long lingering touch. Kathryn moaned as Seven's tongue brushed her mouth asking for entrance. The kisses deepened as their tongues began a lover's dance stroking and exploring. All to soon Seven pulled away.

"Would you accompany me to the aft cabin in order that we can stay awake more comfortably?"

Kathryn smiled and held out her hand for Seven's as they walked to the back of the Flyer. Decision made, there was no hesitation.

Seven watched Kathryn with hungry eyes as she began to disrobe. When she was down to her sleeping attire of tank top and briefs, Seven stopped her from going further. "Every night as you climb into bed I have wanted to reach out. I have seen your nipples harden as I removed my garments and I have always wanted to touch them."

Janeway smirked shyly, "Noticed that did you?" She lay down on the mattress. "Well, by all means proceed."

Seven began to remove her bio-suit keeping her eyes locked on Kathryn's breast. Her tongue poked out of her mouth in anticipation as she watched the material yield to Janeway pebbling nipples. Seven moved towards her love, slowly reaching out with her right hand and rubbing her thumb over the protruding spot on Janeway's chest.

For her part Janeway was patiently allowing Seven her explorations. The ache between the redhead's legs was becoming sharp as Seven grew bolder and began to lift Kathryn's shirt and caress her skin.

Suddenly the touches stopped. Kathryn opened her eyes and looked at Seven quizzically.

"I want to touch you in so many ways. I want to kiss you and hold you. Will you tell me how to proceed?"

"Seven, I would suggest kissing me and holding me and touching me in any way you want. But first give me your hand." Seven reached out with her right hand. "No the other one." Seven hesitantly brought her mesh cover left hand forward. Slowly Kathryn brought the hand to her mouth gently kissing then licking it. Seven's pleasure was evident so Janeway began sucking on the fingers, surprised by the softness of the mesh.

"When I fist met you, all covered in your exo-plating, I was intrigued by how a Borg drone could be so graceful and somehow lovely. As the Doctor removed your implants, I watched your beautiful figure emerge. You are lovely. But Seven I have always thought you were lovely. Don't be afraid of what is left from your time with the collective. I would never wish your experiences on anyone. But they did make you who you are." Kathryn paused to make eye contact with her bedmate, "The woman I love."

No more talk was necessary as the women explored each other. Touching, tasting and loving each other until they were spent, the women proved Janeway wrong and did find a way to sleep together after all.

Janeway opened her eyes, delighting in the feeling of Seven's breast against her cheek. Seven's arms were wrapped around her and for the first time since their arrival Seven was still asleep. A sensual grin crossed Janeway's face as she looked at her sleeping lover. Moving slowly as not to wake her too soon she began to run her tongue over the blonde's exposed nipple. First just a gentle touch with the tip and slowly building to a full tongue lap, finally as she felt the waking woman arch towards her. Kathryn took her whole breast in her mouth and lovingly sucked and licked. After about a minute she looked up in to dancing blue eyes.

"I find this an efficient way to wake up Kathryn." Suddenly the redhead was flipped on to her back under six feet of naked Borg. "It is not, however, efficient if your plan is to get out of bed."

Janeway's grin broadened. "Well then, it is a good thing that is not my plan."

"And your desire to have the Flyer ready for space today, what of that?"

"Seven, I have many desires today, and one does include going to warp in the Flyer. But I think we can take care of that right here."

And they proceeded to do so as only new lovers can, exploring, loving, and occasionally stopping for nutrition. It was the next morning before they decided to actually get back to work on their shuttle. Neither woman seemed to regret the delay.

Part 5

Their work on the Flyer was done in short order and the women started to fully explore The Sphere. While they did not want to leave the planet until they had formed long term plan they did enjoy exploring the planet using the shuttle.

"You know Seven," said Janeway after one such trip, "I never thought of myself as an archeologist but I have been fascinated by all we have learned. We could spend years studying this place."

"Is that what you want? To spend years studying here?"

Kathryn shook her head. "I am afraid to want anything Seven. I have lost my ship and my crew. I know I want to be with Voyager, heading home." Seven watched as Janeway slammed her command mask in place and walked away.

Seven followed her. "Kathryn I also miss our collective from Voyager. But I do appreciate being here alone with you."

The captain's mask was replaced by a gentler look. "My love, we were meant to be together. If were still on Voyager we would have found our way together. We had started before we left."

"And if we found a way back? If your friend Q showed up and transported us to the bridge where would we be then?"

"On the bridge." Janeway replied with a smile. " I am not one for public demonstrations of my emotions. You know that. But if we were to find ourselves in contact with anyone, our relationship would not be a secret. Seven, I love you." Kathryn looked thoughtful for a moment then added. "But we may have a problem if you insist on referring to Q as my friend." She followed this with the patented Janeway glare known to make crewmen quake and both women chuckled.

"Kathryn, based on the research I have been doing with the collective's charts, I believe we are actually ahead of Voyager and on the basic trajectory of her trip home."

"How far ahead are we?"

"I estimate 5000 light years."

Janeway looked shocked. "Five years. In three minutes we got five years closer to home. And we didn't bring Voyager with us."

"Kathryn if you would wait …""Five years! You want me to wait five years for the ship to catch up with us. Oh sure I can see it now. Hello Tuvok, Chakotay. I have had a lovely five years exploring this planet while you were fighting off the dregs of Delta Quadrant society. So happy you could make it to pick me up, can I have my ship back? That's if they even _make_ it this far. Damn it Seven, Chakotay is in charge of my ship. How many shuttles has that man wrecked? And I left him in charge of my whole ship."

Janeway's outcry and demeanor were reaching hysterical proportions as Seven got in the way of her pacing and firmly placed her hands on the older woman's shoulder.

"Captain Janeway, you will stop this now." Seven said firmly. Kathryn's head snapped back at the use of her rank, something she hadn't heard in weeks. She slammed her command mask back on as she stared at her lover. "You did not let me finish Kathryn. I think we have enough information to recreate the wormhole technology. Once we have that, we can plan an exit point along Voyager's route. Knowing where we are in relationship to them will assist us in mapping the appropriate rendezvous point. But there are things only you can do. Will you assist me?"

Janeway stared at Seven with a dazed look on her face. She put her hand to her forehead and closed her eyes. "Thank you, Seven. Of course I will. I have been so worried about the crew. Sometimes after we have a nice day and an even better night, I feel like I have abandoned them. Here I am safe and loved, and they are still lost. I haven't been thinking straight at all. Of course we can figure it out. Lets get some dinner and you can out line your plan."

The women talked late in to the night with Seven showing the Captain star charts she had been able to find of the area. "These are far more extensive than anything we had on the ship. I have downloaded them in to the shuttle's data base." Seven looked at Janeway waiting for a reply.

"That seems efficient, Seven. What is left for me to do?"

"Using these charts and your knowledge of the personalities of the senior staff and Starfleet protocols, you must chart their trip and the time it would take to follow it. When we create the wormhole we will have no other way of knowing where they are. By planning our exit ahead of Voyager's we can then meet with them."

"Seven, can we make the hole big enough for Voyager to follow back through? Once we meet them can we bring them back through to here?"

"Yes, Captain."

"And we can use it to get home too? Can we jump that far?"

Seven slowly nodded yes watching Janeway for fear she might faint. "It may take several jumps in succession and we will have to secure enough energy source. I would also like to close the wormholes after we use them. We know from experience they become unstable and may cause a problem for someone else."

"So you are saying," Kathryn responded slowly, "that we just need to find Voyager and we can take her home?"

"I will need a few more days to perfect and test my hypothesis on the technology, but I believe I understand the basics."

"A few days. Seven we have only been here three weeks. Voyager would have waited at least a week before they moved on. Even if we show up at the exact spot we left we would still be in hailing distance." Janeway noticed an almost sad look on Seven's face. Guessing the cause she continued. "When we get back on the ship things may be a little different. We need to get a few things clear in advance of our arrival."

Seven put her hands behind her back and stood ramrod straight. "Yes, Captain."

"While we are on duty with others around us it will be necessary to maintain the regular chain of command."

"Yes, Captain."

"But when we are alone, on or off duty," Kathryn's voice rose to a threatening level and her eyes blazed, "Don't ever call me captain again."

Seven nodded shyly with an abashed look on her face.

"Seven I can't throw our relationship in everyone's face. I meant what I said. I am a very private person. As captain I have to maintain a certain decorum. But if anyone has a problem when my first order is to have B'Elanna move an alcove to my quarters, well that's his or her problem, not ours. Let's go to bed, Darling. Thank you so much."

Part 6

Chakotay sat on the bridge comfortable yet unhappy in the command chair. Today was the one-month anniversary of the captain and Seven's departure. The ship was functioning fine. By staying right on the edge of the ancient Borg space the crew had not had to deal with any confrontations. Icheb had perfected a scanning routine to locate and avoid the unstable singularities. With the risk of the invisible passageways neutralized several short away missions were launched that successfully replenished supplies. But as the ship continued its course home the crew seemed to have left their hearts in the task behind them. They knew Chakotay as a fine officer and a good man, but the spark that kept their faith in the mission was Janeway. Voyager's crew still hoped to go home but their invincible attitude was no longer visible. Every crewman on the ship, no matter how small they might feel their contribution was, knew Janeway would never leave them stranded. She was their shepherd. In some way every person on board felt that they had left her. No matter how far removed they were from the decision to actually leave, there was guilt. The focus of today's senior staff meeting would be this problem of morale that seemed too big even for the irrepressible Neelix.

"Captain," The voice of Harry Kim disrupted Chakotay's introspection. _At least I don't still look for her every time someone say that._ "There is a ship on appearing on sensors. Intercept time about three hours."

"Why are we just seeing it now?" The new captain was edgy at the thought of a conflict with the crew in such a melancholy state.

"I don't know, sir. It just appeared from nowhere. I am trying to identify it now." Harry was suddenly very still and quiet at his station. After a moment Chakotay looked up impatiently.

"Report, Ensign."

"It is the Flyer sir," Harry's voice was shaking with emotion. "The shuttle is hailing us."

Chakotay was on his feet in an instant. "On screen."

The familiar face of his friend and captain appeared on the screen in front of him. Janeway's smile seemed like a ray of sunshine after a rainstorm as she made eye contact with each officer on the bridge before she spoke.

"Have you a docking bay for a couple of travelers?" There was a collective chuckle from the stunned bridge crew.

"Yes, Captain. Your shuttle bay is ready and waiting. I will meet you there."

"Thank you. Janeway out."

The news was just too good to keep to himself. Chakotay was grinning as he made the announcement. "Attention all hands, this is Commander Chakotay. Captain Janeway and Seven of Nine are now docking in shuttle bay two. Chakotay out."

Every door was open as the captain walked from the shuttle to the bridge. Members of her crew lined the corridor as she passed. No one spoke but Kathryn made contact with each person. With a smile, a touch on the shoulder, or a squeeze of the hand she let each person know they were important to her.

Seven walked next to the captain quietly watching her, admiring her ability to connect with the crew.

"It is good to see you all." The captain was standing at the head of her conference table addressing the senior staff. "As you can see I prepared my report in advance of my arrival. Please take a moment to review it." Janeway walked over to the replicator,

"Coffee Black." Hearing those familiar words caused every one to pause in their reading and smile. One by one pads were put on table and amazed faces studied the captain's. Harry Kim was the first to speak.

"Are we going home, Captain? Really going home?" He looked at her with shining eyes.

She walked around the table and put her hand on his shoulder. "Harry, we have always been going home. Our ETA has just changed a little. Based on the success of our trial today and Seven's research we should be home in four days."

B'Elanna still holding her padd in hand looked up at Seven and then the captain. "This is amazing. We should have sent you two off on vacation a long time ago."

Janeway looked at Seven and grinned. "You know B'Elanna, I couldn't agree more. If there is nothing else please review this information and bring any questions or concerns to me. Oh and B'Elanna I would like an engineering team to work on moving a Borg alcove to my quarters."

Every jaw at the table dropped in shock realizing the implications of the captain's comment.

"Dismissed."

The end


End file.
